Why is Primary Care research important?
Research is essential to improve healthcare and reduce health inequalities. Primary care, despite its potential, remains an underutilised resource for research delivery - currently accounting for just 10% of total trial activity, with only 4% of practices involved in commercial trial recruitment (ref 1,2).
Primary care offers access to vast numbers of patients and a huge workforce; we generally have good connections with our patients based on relationships of trust and we deliver services locally enabling easy access for patients. We serve diverse populations and deliver a wide range of healthcare services.
The evidence suggests research active organisations have better patient outcomes. Research can also generate income and help create diverse job plans, which in turn can improve organisational resilience by increasing job satisfaction and improving staff retention. It provides a unique opportunity to be involved in work which will ultimately shape the healthcare we deliver to our local communities.
